Kirtland Air Force Base: A National Asset

Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is one of the largest installations of the U.S. Air Force. Located on the southern edge of Albuquerque, New Mexico, on more than 80 square miles of isolated rolling terrain, the base is larger in area than Washington, D.C. The base features many unique test facilities. More than 19,000 civilian scientists and technicians, both government and contractor, as well as approximately 5,000 active-duty military and about 1,000 National Guard and reservists work at Kirtland AFB. The base is under the Air Force Materiel Command headquartered at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio.

Despite sensitive missions, Kirtland Air Force Base has enjoyed overwhelming community support since it was established in 1939. During the past 60 years, the base has been home to the most critical weapon development efforts in the nation's history. Yet the bonds of friendship, personal involvement and economic interdependence are unusually strong. About 18,000 military retirees and their families live in the Albuquerque metropolitan area.

Economic impact is more than $3 billion per year. This includes an annual payroll of $756 million and local expenditures of $213 million, and includes a "multiplier" effect as the dollars circulate. Indirect private-sector jobs generate approximately $655 million in local and regional expenditures. About 24,000 people work on the base.

Kirtland Air Force Base has growth potential. Land availability, lack of encroachment and synergy opportunities in its four major mission areas make the base a superior site for growth. But because of the multiplicity of missions, the base is not well understood. The Kirtland Partnership Committee is dedicated to getting the word out about the irreplaceable importance of Kirtland AFB to the security of the nation. Synergy takes place among all mission areas. For example, Sandia National Laboratories is a partner with most of the military organizations.